This invention relates to tracking electronic content, for example, content included with or attached to an electronic mail message.
Electronic mail (e-mail) enables computer users to conveniently share information. Frequently, however, network packets carrying e-mail are dropped due to network traffic or physical transmission problems. Even when successfully delivered, recipients sometimes delete or otherwise fail to read received e-mail. Thus, a user sending e-mail often cannot not be sure the intended recipient ever read or received the e-mail.
Some e-mail software packages, such as cc:Mail(trademark) available from Lotus(trademark) Corporation of Cambridge, Mass., provide a xe2x80x9creturn receiptxe2x80x9d option when sending e-mail. E-mail software that receives e-mail specifying xe2x80x9creturn receiptxe2x80x9d can automatically send back a receipt message indicating that the intended recipient received the e-mail. Some software packages permit an administrator or user to disable xe2x80x9creturn receiptxe2x80x9d functions and, thus, prevent transmission of receipts back to e-mail senders.
E-mail contents can include text messages entered in an e-mail editor and/or attachment files (attachments). Recent surveys indicate that more than 50% of information transmitted via e-mail is transmitted in the form of attachments. Many e-mail software packages enable a user receiving an e-mail attachment to easily forward received attachments to other recipients. Thus, an attachment may be quickly disseminated to a large number of individuals unknown to the user originally sending the attachment.
In general, in one aspect, a method of tracking electronic content includes producing a file that includes electronic content and executable instructions. The executable instructions collect notification information and attempt to transmit the notification information to an address when triggered by an event. The executable instructions deny access to the electronic content until the notification information is transmitted successfully.
Embodiments may include one or more of the following. The executable instructions may deny access until an access granting message is received in response to the successful transmission of notification information. The trigger event may include an attempt to access (e.g., view, use, or list) the electronic content, for example, from a computer or user that has not previously accessed the electronic content.
The executable instructions may collect notification information by querying a computer and/or interactively collecting information from a user. Such information may include demographic information (e.g., a name, an e-mail address, and an organization identifier) or system information (e.g., a network address).
The electronic content may be encrypted. Encrypted content may be accompanied by instructions decrypt the content. The electronic content may be compressed. Compressed content may be accompanied by instructions that decompress the content. The electronic content may include at least one file of data, text, graphics, audio, video, or an executable instructions. The file may be transmitted via e-mail (e.g., as an e-mail attachment).
The method may further include determining an address to receive the notification information. Such determining may performed by interactively receiving an address from a user. Such determining also may be determined by automatically identifying the address as the address of the user creating the file.
The executable instructions that transmit notification information may dynamically determine how to transmit the notification information via an intermediate device (e.g., a proxy server and a firewall).
In general, in another aspect, a method of tracking access to electronic content includes encrypting electronic content, determining an address for receipt of notification information, and producing a file that includes the encrypted electronic content, and executable instructions. The executable instructions collect notification information and attempt to transmit the notification information to the determined address in response to an attempt to access the electronic content on a computer that has not previously accessed the electronic content. The notification instructions decrypt the encrypted electronic content after transmitting notification information successfully.
In general, in another aspect, a method for tracking access to electronic content includes receiving notification information from a recipient of a file including electronic content, the notification information being transmitted in response to an attempt to access the electronic content. The notification information includes an identifier that identifies a user or computer system. The method also includes determining an address for receipt of the notification information and transmitting the notification information to the determined address.
Embodiments may include one or more of the following. An access granting message may be transmitted. The identifier that identifies a user or computer system included in the notification information may be used to verify that an authorized user produced the file. The identifier may also be used to update information (e.g., a usage charge) corresponding to the identifier.
In general, in another aspect, a computer-implemented method of regulating access to electronic content includes collecting notification information in response to an attempt to access the electronic content, attempting to transmit the collected notification information to an address, and selectively granting access to the electronic content based on a result of the attempted transmission of the notification information.
In general, in another aspect, a method of tracking access to electronic content includes creating a file that includes electronic content and causes access to the electronic content to be denied until notification information has been successfully transmitted. The method also includes transmitting the file to a set of addresses that includes at least one address and receiving notification information.
In general, in another aspect, a computer-implemented method of regulating access to e-mail includes detecting an attempt by a message recipient to access received e-mail, attempting to collect notification information from the recipient, and selectively granting access to the e-mail based on a result of the attempt to collect notification information.
In general, in another aspect, a computer program, disposed on a computer readable medium, tracks electronic content. The computer program including computer program instructions for causing a computer to produce a file that includes electronic content and executable instructions that collect notification information and attempt to transmit the notification information to an address when triggered by an event. The executable instructions deny access to the electronic content until the notification information is transmitted successfully.
In general, in another aspect, a computer program, disposed on a computer readable medium, regulates access to electronic content. The computer program includes instructions for causing a processor to collect notification information in response to an attempt to access the electronic content, attempt to transmit the collected notification information to an address, and selectively grant access to the electronic content based on a result of the attempted transmission of the notification information.
Advantages include one or more of the following.
Transmitting electronic content in envelopes permits access to electronic content to be tracked in perpetuity. That is, regardless of how an envelope is passed on by different recipients, the envelope creator, or a user designated by the envelope creator, receives notification information describing each recipient who attempts to access the electronic content in the envelope.
By including its own set of executable instructions the envelope can be used by existing e-mail software packages without modification. Additionally, the executable instructions, for example, those that dynamically determine how to reach a network through intermediate devices (e.g., a firewall), make the task of preventing transmission of notification information extremely difficult without completely severing a network connection.
The notification information provided by an envelope can include any information that can be acquired by querying a computer system or user. The information collected can provide valuable marketing data describing the attributes of users accessing the electronic content.
Receipt of notification information not only communicates receipt of a file but also of attempted access or other attempted functions (e.g., printing, saving, and deleting).
The use of a notification server enables envelopes to control access to electronic content, for example, by limiting the number of times a particular user can access electronic content.
Other advantages of the invention will become apparent in view of the following description, including the figures, and the claims.